Such a suspension stop device generally provides a bearing forming an axial stop, and upper and lower caps forming a housing for the bearing races and allowing an interface between the races and the adjacent elements. The bearing may be of the oblique contact type to absorb both the radial forces and the axial forces exerted on the device.
The suspension stop device is generally arranged in the upper part of the suspension leg, between a suspension spring and an upper contact seat integral with the vehicle body. The suspension spring is mounted around a damper piston rod, the end of which is connected to the vehicle body. The suspension spring, of the coil spring type, comes to rest axially directly or indirectly on the lower cap of the suspension stop device. The stop device allows transmission of axial and radial forces between the suspension spring and the vehicle body, while allowing a relative rotational movement between the lower cap and the upper contact seat resulting from a deflection of the steered wheels of the vehicle and/or compression of the suspension spring.
In general, a damper pad, made for example of rubber or elastomer, is mounted around the piston rod and is housed in a bore in the lower cap of the stop device. Upon a shock on the suspension leg, the spring, the piston rod and the damper pad are compressed axially. The damper pad then exerts axial and radial forces on the lower cap of the stop device. For more details, see for example patent applications WO-A1-2011/070117 and FR-A1-3 003 803.
The suspension stop device described in these prior documents comprises a lower cap with good mechanical resistance to the forces exerted by the damper pad.